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An Act To Prevent and Treat Cancer in Maine by Implementing Critical Portions of the Comprehensive Cancer Program
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 36 MRSA §4403, sub-§1,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 627, §8, is repealed.
Sec. 2. 36 MRSA §4403, sub-§2,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 627, §8, is repealed.
Sec. 3. 36 MRSA §4403, sub-§2-A  is enacted to read:
 
2-A.  Tax rate.     A tax is imposed at the rate of $1 per ounce on:
 
A.  Smokeless tobacco, including chewing tobacco and snuff;
 
B.  Cigars;
 
C.  Pipe tobacco; and
 
D.  Other tobacco intended for smoking.
 
A tax imposed pursuant to this subsection must be reviewed and amended to match the equivalent of any change to the rate of tax under section 4365 so that all tobacco products are taxed equally.
Sec. 4. PL 2007, c. 341, §2  is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
Sec. 2.  Maine cancer plan implementation.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall, contingent upon availability of funding, establish a comprehensive cancer screening, detection and prevention program pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 1407, subsection 1, paragraph E based on the implementation strategy developed by the Maine Cancer Consortium for "The Maine Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan."
Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Comprehensive Cancer Screening, Detection and Prevention Fund Z054
 
Initiative: Provides funds for comprehensive cancer screening.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2009-10	2010-11	
All Other	$2,000,000	$2,500,000	
 	  	  	
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$2,000,000	$2,500,000	

SUMMARY
This bill provides funding for a portion of the cancer prevention and control program plan enacted into law during the First Regular Session of the 123rd Legislature by providing an ongoing Other Special Revenue Funds allocation for a comprehensive cancer screening, detection and prevention program. This bill requires all tobacco products other than cigarettes to be taxed at the rate of $1 per ounce to provide the funding and any future tax rate increase to be tied to increases in the cigarette tax in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, section 4365.